Sports

Braves Power Past Mets, 13-5

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By CHARLES ODUM, AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) _ Freddie Freeman homered, doubled and tied a career high with five RBIs, powering the Atlanta Braves past the New York Mets 13-5 on Monday.

Freeman put the Braves ahead with a two-run double off Daisuke Matsuzaka in the first inning. Freeman made it 6-1 with a three-run homer a dozen rows deep into the right-field seats in the second.

Jordan Schafer got four hits and stole three bases for Atlanta before leaving with a lower back strain. Andrelton Simmons drove in three runs.

The NL East-leading Braves, who matched their season high for runs, have won seven of eight.

Freeman is hitting .349 (23 of 66) with five homers and 16 RBIs against the Mets this season.

Paul Maholm (10-10) snapped his four-game losing streak. He yielded three runs on six hits and three walks and needed 100 pitches to make it through five innings.

Matsuzaka (0-3) lasted only three innings and allowed six runs on seven hits. He has a 10.95 ERA in three starts since signing with the Mets.

Josh Satin hit two doubles for New York.

The Mets, who lost at Washington on Sunday night, arrived at their team hotel in Atlanta about 4 a.m. on Monday, followed by luggage about 30 minutes later. That left players only a few hours to sleep before the bus trip to Turner Field for the 1:10 p.m. first pitch.

The 32-year-old Matsuzaka was released by Cleveland on Aug. 20 and signed with the Mets two days later. He is 0-7 in his last eight starts since Sept. 2, 2012, with Boston.

Simmons’ double in the fifth off Gonzalez Germen drove in Chris Johnson and B.J. Upton. Justin Upton doubled off Pedro Feliciano in the sixth and scored on Brian McCann’s single. B.J. Upton’s double drove in McCann for a 10-3 lead.

Matsuzaka had an RBI single in the second. Zach Lutz had a pinch-hit double in the Mets’ two-run fourth.

NOTES: The Braves said Schafer is day to day with a lower back strain. … Atlanta also scored 13 runs in a 13-3 win at Philadelphia on July 6. … Matsuzaka recorded his first career RBI with a single in the second. … The Braves recalled RHP Kameron Loe from Triple-A Gwinnett. … The series continues Tuesday night when Braves RHP Kris Medlen faces Mets RHP Carlos Torres.